This Time Forever
by Mollzxkor
Summary: Nephrite is granted a second chance at life. Will he be able to get it right this time? An epic story with old friends and new enemies. Neph/Naru, plus Usagi/Mamoru, Jadeite/Minako, Kunzite/Zoicite. Story rated for language, drug use, and some violence.
1. Chapter 1

_Eleanor Rigby picks up the rice in the church where a wedding has been  
__Lives in a dream  
__Waits at the window, wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door  
__Who is it for?  
__-Eleanor Rigby: The Beatles_

Naru Osaka gave a minute sigh. This was the worst part of her job, she thought, wistfully removing clusters of flowers from the ends of the church pews. She stared at it for a few seconds, admiring the carefully placed red and white roses, the luminescent faux-pearls that had been expertly woven in among the fresh flora. They had been discreetly attached to the edges of the mahogany pews with French lace, an extravagance that had gone unnoticed by most.

Naru untied one small bouquet, admiring the delicate details of embroidered flowers and decorative scalloped edging. Her crew seemed unaware of her, vacuuming, polishing, and dismantling other elaborate floral displays. She untied the customary bow in her hair, retying it with the length of beautiful lace. Scanning the church, making sure no one was looking, she stuffed the blue silk ribbon in her bra. She then dropped the flowers into the large, black garbage bag she carried.

"Hiro, please!" She cried suddenly, exasperation evident in her voice. "That belongs to the church, not to us!"

A broad-shouldered, scruffy man stopped on his way out the door, a golden chalice in his hand. He gave a rouge-ish grin, showing a missing canine tooth. "Can't blame a guy for trying, boss-lady," he said, dutifully walking to the altar and putting the expensive looking cup in it's rightful place.

Naru rolled her wide blue eyes. Hiro, who had been with her company from the beginning, was a hard-worker and a charming ruffian, however he had a tendency to attempt to steal nearly anything that wasn't nailed down.

Naru Osaka, sometimes called The Wedding Lady, had been in the business for almost ten years. Starting when she was an 18 year old girl selling bridal gowns and moonlighting as an event planner, she managed to build a successful wedding planning empire, and was now the go-to woman for anything wedding related. The 27, nearly 28, year old had even planned and coordinated her best friend Usagi's wedding to Mamoru Chiba.

This particular wedding, of a wealthy businessman to his young, aspiring model girlfriend, was one of the most expensive and extravagant weddings she had ever planned. The girl, young, silly, airheaded, but achingly beautiful, insisted their vows take place in this historic church, where God himself was not likely to be able to book an event. It had taken all of Naru's skillful negotiation (as well as a substantial contribution to the church donation box), to be allowed to use it, but that's what Naru was famous for. Getting things done. After all, she thought ruefully, why shouldn't she be? She had no husband or children to distract her from her work, and few friends, despite her amiable personality.

It had been the shock of her life when, at 21, her long-term boyfriend, Umino, had broken up with her for a plain looking but incredibly intelligent college student. "She just gets me," he had told her. "But I hope we can be good friends."

"Yeah right," Naru thought. It had been even more hurtful when a mere ten months later, Umino had requested that Naru plan his wedding to the same girl he'd dumped her for. Naru was sure it wasn't an attempt to hurt her feelings, but nonetheless, she had sent Hiro down to tell Umino to "buzz off". Afterwards, Hiro had teased her about being dumped by such a... well, Naru didn't like to use that word, but it effectively meant un-masculine. He had only let up when tears came to her eyes.

"Aww, I didn't mean it like that, boss-lady," he'd told her, awkwardly putting a hand on her shoulder. "You deserve much better than that little shrimp anyway." He had grinned his trademark grin, then, saying, "plus, I seen that girl he was with. What a dog, I'll tell you what..."

"All right crew, we're almost done in here!" Naru called out presently. She turned her attention to tying up her garbage bag that was filled with thousands of dollars worth of roses. She left it for the men to place in the dumpster, feeling a bit sad about doing so. Walking the perimeter of the church, she called out requests for things to be done. "Hiro, put that down and vacuum this pew one more time if you wouldn't mind! Yuusaku, if you and a couple other guys wouldn't mind taking all this stuff out back and tossing it in the garbage? Thanks. Hiro, damnit, I said put it down!!!"

-

The sky was an inky black when Naru determined that all was right with the church. "Alright guys, good job!"

She locked the door after her, making a mental note to mail the key back to the pastor when she got back to the office. She walked slowly down the stone steps, her hand grazing the railing.

"See ya Monday, boss-lady!" Hiro called from his pickup truck. Naru raised a hand, waving him goodbye. The other workmen filtered out, each saying their goodbye. A few, like Hiro, would be at her office building on Monday. They all did general maintenance on the building, and helped out with the setting up and cleaning up of weddings. The rest were part time workers whom she saw infrequently, only calling them in when she needed big time manual labor.

Finally, the parking lot was empty. Naru sat heavily on the stone steps, smoothing out little creases in her cream colored silk dress. It had been a gift for her, from the bride and groom. They said they bought it to thank her for all her hard work. Naru, personally, thought it was because the dress easily blended in with the scenery, and therefore she would be less obviously visible to the wedding guests. She reached into her purse, pulling out a pack of cigarettes. It was an unsavory habit she'd picked up during college. She reminded herself that she really needed to quit before lighting up and taking a deep drag.

Finishing, making sure that no one was around, she slowly walked back up the stairs, unlocked the doors to the church, and slipped back inside. She flicked on the lights to the chapel, smiling as the warm amber glow chased away the darkness. She spun around, making the skirt of her dress mushroom out, then swish to a halt just above her knees. Then, she walked down the aisle, slowly, just as she coached the brides-to-be. She held an invisible bouquet, that she thought would be filled with orange roses and tiny daisies. Her feet made their way to the altar, she still clasped her unseen bouquet as she turned to face a groom who was not there. She closed her eyes, trying to imagine who he would be. Opening them, she saw him there. There was a desperate pang in her chest as she looked into his deep blue eyes.

"Nephrite..." She murmured, seeing in her mind's eye the strong, handsome face that had haunted her dreams for nearly fourteen years. His piercing eyes drew her in, she reached for his chiseled jaw with a trembling hand, only to find he was not there after all. Her arm fell limply back to her side. Tears welled in her eyes, and she felt so very foolish. "He's dead," she told herself firmly. The church echoed with her voice, and left her words ringing in her ears.

She turned, rushing back towards the doors. She flipped off the lights, and shut the door behind her, locking it again. It was very dark outside, and she stumbled when trying to find her black sedan. Eventually, she did, and she pulled out of the parking lot, driving faster than she should have, trying to outrun her grief.

-

Naru opened the door to her apartment. She was greeted by the happy barks of her dog, Satchmo. He ran to greet her, and she reached down to rub her face in his shaggy fur. "Hey boy," she cooed.

She walked to her kitchen, lifting a hefty bag of dog food and pouring it into Satchmo's food dish. She watched him chow down happily for a few moments, then retreated to her bedroom. She flicked the light switch, bringing her lamps to life. She reached under the bed and withdrew a nearly full decorated shoe box. Inside were small mementos, little keepsakes from people and places. There was a pressed cherry blossom that she'd put in a plastic bag, from the Hikawa Shrine, the plastic bride and groom from the top of the wedding cake from the very first wedding she planned by herself. She dug deeper into the box, finding a faded picture of herself and Usagi when they were teenagers. She smiled softly at it, but put it back, and finally her fingers found what they were looking for.

She pulled out a folded white napkin. She clutched it to her heart as she walked back to her living room. She popped a CD in the stereo and poured herself a glass of red wine. She sat on her couch, sipping delicately from her glass. Carefully, she unfolded the napkin to reveal an old, tattered scrap of orange fabric. Tears brimmed in her eyes, spilling over, down her smooth, pale cheeks. Naru brought the piece of her old pajamas up to her lips. She kissed it lightly, remembering the night that her Nephrite had been so unfairly stolen.

"Oh, Nephrite..." She sobbed quietly, while the stereo provided the soundtrack to her misery.

_What becomes of the broken hearted  
__Who had love that's now departed?  
__I know I've got to find__Some kind of peace of mind  
__Maybe..._

_-_

It was warm suddenly. He felt tugged, pulled through a bright, warm light.

Abruptly, he stopped. It was like being dunked in ice water. Chills ran through him as he fought to catch his breath.

Wait? He hadn't drawn breath in years. He looked frantically around him, ran his hands over his body, feeling his muscles, his skin, his hair. How was this happening? Was he...

"No, you're not alive," a voice told him. It wasn't clearly identifiable as male or female. He turned around, looking for the source. What he gazed upon were two figures. Both completely androgynous, without gender, it seemed. One sat regally, while the other stood. The sitting figure was a lotus blossom white, clad in flowing black robes. It had long black hair, and endlessly deep black eyes. The other, standing figure, was sheathed in golden armour, with it's hand on the hilt of an impressive looking golden sword. It's face was cherubic, with high pink cheeks and a small button nose. But it's oceanic blue eyes were hard and unforgiving. A mess of golden blonde hair adorned it's head.

"W-who are you?" He stuttered.

"I am Judgment," the black clad figure responded, "and this is Justice," it indicated the golden figure.

"What do you want with me?" He asked, suddenly terrified.

"You've been a very difficult case to decide," Judgment informed him. "You committed treason. You slaughtered innocents, perpetuated hatred and violence."

He winced.

"However," Judgment continued, "you showed the capacity to love, and to be loved. You gave your life for it, and repented for your sins. I have concluded that the only way to be sure, in your case, is to give you a second chance."

"A second chance?" He repeated.

"Yes. And Nephrite," Judgment said with a small smile, "don't screw it up this time."

Justice strode over to him, taking him by the arm and pulling him backwards. He closed his eyes...

-

Nephrite woke in Masato Sanjouin's mansion, cold sweat covering his naked body. Dazed and feeling slightly panicked, he looked around him. He studied his hands, his feet. He felt his shoulders, his strong biceps. He stared at his muscular, lean torso, running his hands up and down his own body.

For so long, he floated, conscious but non-corporeal. He had seen without eyes, heard without ears. He was nothing, yet still something, all at once. Drifting through time and space, always unseen and unheard by those whom he observed. It had not been a pleasant existence, for all he could do was watch.

He carefully tested his newly formed legs. He reveled in the sensation of hard wood against his bare skin. Each twitch of his muscles filled him with glorious sensation, each movement untold pleasure. As if on auto-pilot, he found himself in his bathroom, staring into the mirror. He touched his face, it was just as it had been before. His eyes still bright and blue, his nose long and straight. His mouth was still full and bow-shaped. His gaze traveled down his neck, to his shoulders. Something new. He touched the large scar on his shoulder, it was smooth under his fingertips. This must have been from the night that he died...

"Naru..." he whispered. He marveled at the sound of her name on his lips, his voice low and gravelly. "Naru," he said again, louder. He wondered if she still remembered him, if she still loved him. Was she married now? Were there children?

There was an unfamiliar sensation in the pit of his stomach. It was heavy and nauseating, leaving him gripping the marble counter in support. He didn't know what he would do if his little Naru was gone forever from him. The notion of such a thing was more terrifying than any fear he had ever felt before.

He breathed in deeply, trying to clear his mind. He reminded himself to think of nothing but the present, and presently, he could feel his exhaustion down to his newly formed bones. "Alright," he thought to himself, "for now, I'll sleep." However, he resolved to find his Naru as soon as he awoke.

-

Naru awoke on Saturday morning, finding herself still in her living room, empty wine glass loosely grasped in her hand, with Satchmo sleeping comfortably between her legs. "Hey Satch," she said sleepily. She sighed, looking down to realize that she still held the scrap of dirty pajama fabric in her fist and seeing that she had slept in her designer, cream colored dress.

"Damn it," she grumbled. The wrinkles would probably never come out. She swung her legs over the side of the couch, disturbing her shaggy brown dog from his slumber. Her head hurt terribly. Her feet touched the empty wine bottle, which had been completely full when she returned home last night. Sometimes, she surprised even herself with her alcohol tolerance. Getting up, she moved with great effort to the kitchen, disposing of the empty bottle in the recycling bin.

She walked gingerly back to the living room. She picked up the napkin she kept her only memento of her lost love in, making her way back to her room and her keepsake box. She sat down on her bed, legs crossed. She gently kissed the fabric one last time; it left the taste of a thousand tears burned on her lips. With that, she folded the white napkin over the little piece of orange material one more time. How many times had this happened? Hundreds? Thousands? She ran her hand through her hair, finding the lace ribbon still tied there from last night. Gently untying it, she retied it around the napkin. It made a pretty little package. She sighed, hiding it below everything else in the box, knowing it probably wouldn't be long until she pulled it out and cried again.

Satchmo trotted in, placing his head on the edge of Naru's bed, looking up at her with empathetic brown eyes. She leaned down, resting her chin on him. She rubbed his back, thankful for, at least, the constant love and devotion of her dog.

-

Nephrite awoke in his cavernous bedroom. There was a single lamp, next to his bed, that didn't even illuminate the corners of this giant room. He would buy more light after he found Naru. He stumbled out of his bed, a gigantic, soft mattress that could have easily fit four or five. He threw open the doors to his closet, looking in on moth-eaten fourteen year old clothes. He dug through them until he found a simple white t-shirt and jeans. He also managed to find loafers that weren't to bad looking.

He walked downstairs, taking in the sights of his old home that had sat, desolate and neglected for so many years. He strode into the chapel that he had built for himself, finding he disliked how dark it was.

"Hello, my old friends," he whispered softly. A warm feeling flooded through him, centering in the middle of his forehead. He looked up, the cosmos suddenly swirling around him, each star caressing him gently, in greeting. He felt peaceful, and the stars were glad to serve him.

"Show her to me," he asked. The stars obliged, weaving a picture of his Naru, considerably older than he was used to seeing her. There was a unpleasant pang in his heart as he looked upon her. Her face was pretty, heart-shaped, devoid of the youthful roundness that had been so apparent when he saw her last. There were dark circles under her bright blue eyes, eyes that, while beautiful, held a deep sadness. Her hair had not changed much, still thick, wavy, and bright red. She even kept it in the same style she had when he knew her. He continued scanning this moving portrait. Her ears were pierced twice in each ear. He thought that odd, as Naru had never seemed the rebellious type. But, perhaps, that was the style now. He observed her clothes, now. The fashion was not too different than when he was alive. Her clingy pencil skirt was black, her silk blouse a pretty sapphire blue. What was this? She held acigarette in her well manicured hand. When had that happened? He shook it off. He looked around the apartment she appeared to be in. A medium sized brown dog bounded up, jumping onto her lap. She murmured into it's ear, smiling. She produced a leash, clipping it to the dog's collar.

"Where can I find her?" He asked, praying silently that it was close by. A cold wave of emotion washed over him as the stars did his bidding. It was the park where fourteen years ago, he fell victim to Zoicite's attack.

"Thank you, friends," he said, indicating to his celestial friends that he was done. He strode quickly to his driveway, grabbing the dusty keys to his car on his way. The Ferrari was just where he had left it, not surprising, as he had kept it under a magical lock and key. However, fourteen years of disuse had done it no service, the engine taking a few tries to kick in, and the handling hardly as precise as it had been. Still, he marveled at the quality machine, most cars would have probably not made it through the neglect.

He sped down the road, Naru's haunted face burned in his brain.

-

The old park was across the street from Naru's apartment complex, something she was conversely thankful and depressed by. She walked briskly with Satchmo, her skirt preventing the long strides she usually took. Upon reflection, most of her wardrobe was impractical, being made up of mostly pieces that Masato Sanjouin would approve of. Designer Italian wool suits, cashmere sweaters, silk blouses, and flat slinky skirts. Naturally, this meant she didn't have a particularly full wardrobe, but she found that wearing designer clothing helped her clients ignore her obviously working class accent.

Waking from her musings, she realized that night had quickly fallen, and she had led herself to Their Tree, the tree where they had sat moments before... She shivered. Her hands ached of their own accord, recalling the pain she had endured trying to pull those monstrous thorns out of her beloved.

She let Satchmo wander, and he found a place not too far away to do his business. She studied the tree, brushing its thick trunk with her fingertips. Her eyes stung, she blinked back the tears. Her mother had told her that time heals all wounds, but it wasn't true. Years ago, not too long after he died, it was easier. She felt the missing piece of herself, but it was almost as if she didn't realize why. Her therapist called that denial, and told her she was deep in it. But ten years ago, the memories flooded back to her in gruesome detail, and she acutely felt every pain, every tear.

She didn't know what stage of grief she was in now, and she probably wouldn't ever. That particular therapist had given up hope, and two more subsequently. Maybe it was when Naru insisted that Nephrite was the general of a evil kingdom, and he was killed by a monster. No, not a person, a real honest-to-God monster.

Satchmo trotted back over to her, leaning into her leg. She rubbed his head, clipping his leash back onto his collar. "Let's get home," Naru said, turning to leave. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something dart out from behind Their Tree.

Suddenly, she felt something, a belt, around her neck, choking her. She released Satchmo's leash, her dog valiantly biting her assailant. She heard the deep voice behind curse, a thud, and a painful yelp from Satch. She tried screaming, but the tightness around the throat prevented her from making more than a strangled gurgle. She thrust backwards, trying to throw the man off balance. Her feet left the ground, her shoulders pressing against his hard chest. He took a step backwards, but did not fall. She couldn't breathe, couldn't gasp for air, and her muscles spasmed. She tried to rake the heel of her shoe down his shin, but it didn't phase him. Dread filled her whole being. She was going to die.

One last, desperate flail. No breath, no strength left to move. Her body went limp, and he dropped her to the ground. She didn't even have energy enough to take in precious oxygen, her breaths shallow, slow. She was dimly aware of her skirt being lifted. Shouldn't she be resisting? "Oh Nephrite," she thought, seeing the far reaching branches of Their Tree overhead, "is this irony?"

Movement, he was leaving. It was done already? Couldn't be, she felt her panties still there. Voices barely registered. No air. No breath. Her vision failing, she barely had time to see the blue eyes of her rescuer.

-

She was hardly breathing.

"Help!" He screamed, his voice catching in his throat. Seeing none forthcoming, he tried to remember the small amount of medical training he had received so many years ago. He pinched her nostrils closed with his thumb and forefinger, then breathed deeply into her mouth. Her chest rose, but she was not breathing on her own.

"HELP!" He screamed again. He was pumping her chest, breathing into her mouth. Two voices approached. Nephrite did not stop administering CPR, calling out to these people while his mouth wasn't occupied with Naru's.

A couple approached, shouting expletives when they came across the scene. The man pulled out a mobile phone, calling for help.

"Oh please Naru..." He whispered to her, starting another round of chest compressions. She gasped, sitting straight up and cracking his nose with her forehead. A white hot jolt of pain shocked him, as did the steady trickle of red blood leaking from his nose. But it didn't matter to him, because Naru was breathing again.

-

The crack of bone against her forehead made her lie down again. Naru shut her eyes tightly against the waves of sensation that rushed through her body. Her forehead hurt, the abrasions on her throat alternately ached and stung with friction burn. Her shoulders were sore from the fight she had put up, and she thought she felt a torn muscle in her thigh from when that bastard had yanked her legs apart. Mental assessment complete, Naru thought that she had escaped rather nicely from a near-rape situation.

But who had fended that man off? She briefly recalled blue eyes, eyes that looked terribly familiar... But that was impossible. She cracked open an eyelid to peek at her rescuer. He was looking down at her, a soft expression gracing his handsome features. Thick auburn hair framed his olive-skinned face.

"Nephrite!" She exclaimed, before passing out once again.

-

Nephrite's sense of urgency had faded, seeing that his red-headed rescuee was breathing on her own, and that her assailant, whom he had taken the liberty of knocking out, was not going anywhere fast. He knelt over her, stroking her hair with one hand and pinching his bleeding nose with the other. This was not exactly how he pictured their reunion.

Two ambulances arrived shortly thereafter. One sped away with Naru, despite his pleadings to go with her, the paramedics insisted that he stay so police could question him and they could tend to his bloody nose.

"Your nose isn't broken, but expect some swelling," a tired looking paramedic told him, as Nephrite was pulled to the side by an equally tired looking police officer.

"Name?"

A tough question. He wondered if anyone remembered Masato Sanjouin, his wealthy alter-ego. That could get tricky. "Masato. Masato Sanjouin."

Evidently, they did remember him, as the officer's eyes widened. "The rich guy who disappeared?" Nephrite nodded.

"Where ya been for the past fourteen years?"

"Abroad," Nephrite answered vaguely. The officer wisely took the hint, looking down at his notepad and quickly finding his next question.

"What is your relationship to Miss Osaka?" An officer asked.

"I'm-" he thought quickly, "I'm an ex-boyfriend. I just happened to be walking by at the time."

The officer nodded. "And how did you get that bang on the nose?"

"I was giving her CPR, she'd stopped breathing. When she woke up, she hit me on the nose."

The police man chuckled, "alright, sir. Well, it's a good thing you caught this guy, this is the fourth incident we've had in this park this month. Same M.O."

Nephrite nodded, pride swelling up in him. It felt unfamiliar, but he enjoyed it. He didn't think he'd ever _prevented_ crimes against humanity. In the midst of this heady feeling, a shaggy brown dog trotted up to him. He recognized it as Naru's dog that had been with her when he had observed her though the stars. He knelt down, offering his hand to it. The dog sniffed, then happily allowed itself to be petted. The silver tags on it's collar indicated that it's name was Satchmo. He smiled at this. Was Naru a jazz fan? During his brief stay in Tokyo, he had become rather fond of the genre.

He stood, the desire to make sure Naru was overwhelming. He looked down at the dog, which looked back up at him with patient eyes. "Fine," he grumbled, picking it up, and taking it to his car. He'd drop it off at his house, then he would go to Naru. Besides, when she woke up, she probably wouldn't be pleased with him if he let her dog get lost.

-

Naru woke in an uncomfortable bed, sore all over. It took her several moments to remember where she was and why. She sighed. She was eternally grateful that disaster had narrowly been averted, but she wondered who had saved her. It had looked like Him. But it couldn't have been. Nephrite had died in her arms. Tears welled in her eyes. It had looked so much like him, though.

A nurse wandered in. "How are you feeling?" She asked.

"Sore," Naru smiled. The nurse chuckled. She offered Naru two small white pills, explaining that they were painkillers. Naru shook her head, deciding she'd rather be lucid for awhile. As the nurse prepared to leave, Naru gathered the courage to ask, "who was it that saved me?"

The nurse turned back around, her pretty brown eyes shining. "It's really quite extraordinary. Masato Sanjouin did. Gone for years, then he suddenly turns up, happens to be walking in the park, and he saves you. You're very lucky. Especially to be rescued by someone as handsome as Mr. Sanjouin..." The nurse blushed and bit her lip, embarrassed for letting her small crush slip. She quickly walked out of the room, leaving Naru to her thoughts.

It couldn't possibly be... But maybe... Naru twisted a lock of her fiery red hair around her finger. He was dead. She wouldn't allow herself to get excited, lest her heart be broken again. She closed her eyes against the waves of pain that wracked her body, remembering the night that she'd lost a part of herself under the branches of a maple tree.

The was a little knock at the door. She opened her eyes to see Him. He was really there. She couldn't, wouldn't believe it.

"Are you real?" She whispered, drinking in his appearance.

"I am." His voice sounded a little choked, but it was still the same voice that she remembered. Low, rumbling out of his chest and oh so sweet to hear.

They stared at each other, each unwilling to move or to speak, terrified that something might make the other disappear. Naru hardly dared to draw another breath, praying to every god she could think of that this was actually happening.

Before she could even blink, Nephrite had strode across the room, capturing her lips in a hard, longing kiss. She could taste him, she felt his chapped lips on hers, the beginnings of stubble on his jaw. Tears ran down her cheeks as she fervently returned the kiss, still afraid that this was just a beautiful dream. He pulled away from her, wiping her tears away with his thumbs.

"You're really here," Naru said, putting a trembling hand to his face. He leaned into it, closing his eyes. "You're really here," she repeated, her whole body shaking with the force of the emotions that were overwhelming her system. "How is this possible?"

Nephrite pulled a hard plastic hospital chair close to Naru's bed. "I got a second chance," he told her. He explained how he stood before Judgment and Justice, and they gave him an opportunity to prove himself to be a good human being. He told her of how he'd woken up only last night in his old house, naked and so very alive. Naru remained very quiet during his story, nodding slightly at times.

"You're here for good, then?" She very cautiously asked, glancing up at him though her tear-laden lashes.

"I think so," he responded.

Naru felt as though her heart would burst from happiness. She flung her arms around his broad shoulders, laughing and crying at the same time. She mumbled his name over and over while her face was buried in the base of his neck. His arms encircled her waist and he breathed in her scent, acrid tobacco smoke, sweet vanilla, and a citrus-y shampoo. "I'm going to get it right this time," he breathed into her ear.

----

Mollzxkor here. So, just wanted to put in a disclaimer here. I don't own Sailor Moon, obviously, and the two songs used were Eleanor Rigby by The Beatles and What Becomes of the Broken Hearted by Jimmy Ruffin.


	2. Chapter 2

_You're the center of adrenaline  
__And I'm beginning to understand  
__You could be the best thing __about me  
__- The Best Thing: Savage Garden_

Naru sighed, rolling over under her covers, reaching for her cell phone. It's annoyingly cheerful tune was the last thing she wanted waking her on a Sunday morning. Satchmo (who had been returned to her, much to his relief), began barking, making a chorus of sheer irratation. "Hello?" She answered, groggily.

"Miss Osaka, I'm sorry to call on a Sunday, but a large delivery that was supposed to be made for the Tanaka wedding Monday afternoon won't be able to make it. Our refridgeration units have failed, and the flowers are completely wilted."

Naru was silent a few moments, trying to wrap her head around this news. "Well, the wedding is Wednesday, is there a possibility of getting new arrangements sent out for Tuesday?"

"No, ma'am, I'm sorry. We only had a limited supply of the anthurium flowers, there's no possible way we could get more on such short notice," the harried florist answered.

"Could I get them myself?"

"Got time to travel to Hawaii and back?" The florist responded.

Naru sighed heavily. "Okay, so, that's a bust... Alright, well, thanks for telling me." She snapped her phone shut, grabbing a pillow from behind her and screaming into it. Flipping her cell phone back open, she dialed the bride-to-be.

"Aiko? Hi, it's Naru Osaka. Listen, bad news," Naru related the flower fiasco to the bridezilla, who promptly burst into tears. "Okay, Aiko, okay, listen... Your theme colors are pink and green, those are pretty easy colors to track down, I think we can make this right. I- yes, I know you're at the spa. I know that, Aiko. Okay, okay. Listen, you're paying me for a reason. I will find you new arrangements. It's going to be expensive, but we can do this. Alright? I'll go out right now. Okay. Bye."

Flipping her phone shut with a satisfying click, she ran her hands through her bright red hair. So much for lazy Sunday, she thought wistfully. She patted Satchmo on the head before throwing open her closet, choosing a full white skirt and throwing on a high-necked turquoise cashmere sweater to disguise the still obvious bruising on her neck. She pulled a matching ribbon from her carefully organized ribbon drawer, tying her hair up hastily, slipping on some fashionable white wedge heels on her way out. Pressing the button on the elevator, her cell phone rang. "Hello?" She answered warily.

"Naru." A simple statement of her name, yet it still made her tingle all over.

"Nephrite," she said, happily.

"Would you like to get lunch with me today?" He asked.

She sighed, "I can't, I got an emergency call about some flowers, they're incredibly exotic and painfully expensive, and now they're totally unusable. So I called the bride, that drama queen, and she's just having a melt-down, although I don't even know why because she's at a spa and I'm pretty sure they're paid to keep people from having melt-downs, but that's beside the point; which is that I need to find flowers. Except I have no idea-"

"I'll come with you," he said, cutting her off mid-ramble.

"Y-you will?" She was surprised. Even her employees didn't want to accompany her anywhere on their days off.

"Of course." He answered simply.

The elevator door opened in front of her. "Okay, well, I'll meet you at Fujii Florist in an hour. I'm getting on the elevator, so I gotta go. Bye!"

-

Nephrite closed his cell phone, unable to think of a day that sounded more unappealing than shopping for flowers. However, he hadn't seen Naru since last night, when they left the hospital together. They had briefly stopped by Masato's imposing mansion to collect Naru's dog, then he had dropped her off at her apartment with a deeply passionate goodnight kiss.

This morning, he had woken up early to see to his finances and purchase a few nessecities. To his delight, he discovered that the four youma that he had left in charge of Sanjouin International had done an excellent job in running it, and he had nothing to worry about, at least as far as money went. Knowing that, he hadn't felt too bad about spending a few hundred on new clothes, and another couple hundred on a sleek, top of the line cell phone. After his spending spree, he had called Naru, anxious to see her again. And now, he got to spend hours looking at flora. He rolled his eyes. However, he couldn't feel too upset, as any day spent with Naru, in his eyes, was better than a day spent alone, no matter what they did.

He checked himself out in the full length mirror that was in his bedroom. He didn't like to admit it, but he was a terribly vain person, and he hated going out looking anything less than perfect. He admired his hair, his well-fitting kakhi pants and Italian leather shoes, and a dress shirt by a designer called Burberry, which he had been assured was the height of modern fashion. Finding no fault with his appearance, he headed to the driveway to admire the biggest purchase of the morning.

The Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, his new little red sports car. He had called an old friend of Masato's, telling him that he needed new wheels. Well, the car dealer was more than happy to open his doors early for such a wealthy man. Masato was still worth billions, after all. He hopped in, smiling as he heard the V12 engine purr to life. He gripped the steering wheel with one hand, putting the car into gear with the other. He tore out of the driveway, rolling down his window to feel the wind whipping through his hair. He quickly entered 'Fujii Florist' into his navigation system. Within seconds, he was ripping down the road towards downtown.

-

By the time he got there, an impressive fifteen minutes, Naru was deep in coversation with an old, amicable looking man.

"They had pink anthurium, so I'm thinking pink calla lilies," Naru said, selecting a few blossoms from the refridgerator. The old man nodded, mumbling something that Nephrite couldn't hear, but appearantly was a great idea, because Naru beamed, nodding excitedly. Nephrite cleared his throat, and Naru turned, rushing to greet him. He swooped her up in his arms, planting a passionate, firm kiss on her mouth. The old man gave a discrete cough, causing Naru to break the kiss and blush.

"Masato, I'd like you to meet Mr. Fujii, I've been doing business with him for a very long time. Mr. Fujii, this is my-" she glanced up at him casually, unsure of his offical title in her life, "my boyfriend, Masato Sanjouin."

Mr. Fujii smiled. "I see you have found yourself. You were missing for quite awhile."

Naru giggled, pulling Nephrite closer to the florist's counter. She and Mr. Fujii had an in depth conversation about pricing and timing, and Nephrite couldn't help but admire her sharp business sense. The old man was kind, making great allowances for the red-headed wedding planner, and Naru seemed very aware of that fact, but never asked him to do anything extraordinary. At the end of the conversation, Naru pulled the small man into an embrace, thanking him deeply for the amount of work he was about to undertake.

Nephrite and Naru walked, hand in hand, outside. "I was thinking," he began, "that I am desperately late in taking you out for a chocolate parfait."

Naru smiled, a bit sadly, but squeezed his hand. "I'd like that."

-

They had walked in comfortable silence to a small cafe that Naru frequented about a block away. "My office is right there," she pointed to a squat, brown, brick building. In the window were the orantely written words "Osaka Wedding Planning".

She blushed as Nephrite stared thoughtfully. "It's not very original, I know. But it's simple and to the point."

"I like it," he said. "You say what you do, nothing more, nothing less. Very businesslike. Makes sense."

"Below is a dance studio, and a cafeteria. They have terrible food, though," Naru told him. "The whole second floor is mine."

The pair found Naru's favorite cafe soon afterwards, taking a seat outside to enjoy the pleasant evening breeze. "Do you enjoy what you do?" Nephrite asked suddenly, staring at her intensely.

"I-I do." Naru stuttered, surprised at his question. "I do, very much. I wanted to be a nurse for a long time, when I got to University, I started to intern at a hospital. I very quickly found out it wasn't for me," she briefly remembered when the E.R. was overrun by children who had caught the latest stomach virus epidemic, "but I did want to help people. See them happy. I was working at a wedding gown boutique at the time, and it filled me with a great sense of accomplishment to help a bride-to-be find her dream dress. I was introduced to an event planner shortly after that, and that was very rewarding, too. And I guess the rest is history."

"Tell me about the last fourteen years," he asked, leaning back in his chair. So she did. She told him about Umino, and the fact that he dumped her. She talked about her mother, and the OSAP store, and about her bit role as a moving tree in her high school production of The Wizard of Oz. She spoke of everything she'd learned about finances, the first wedding she'd planned, when she personally flew to New York and back to pick up a wedding cake. She omitted the fact that for the first four years after his death, she couldn't recall him at all.

He observed her with an unreadable expression on his face that made her just a little bit nervous. It was almost as if he knew of all the things she wasn't saying. But she couldn't tell him those things. Her desperate lonliness, the long nights she put in just to avoid going home to no one, how she had tried her hardest to get a lead role in that play, only to be outshined by prettier girls who flirted with the director. She couldn't tell him about how many prospective clients had snubbed her because of her working class accent, or even how many couples had vented their anger on her. She couldn't tell him that.

Very slowly, he took her hands in his. He felt how they trembled with all the words she hadn't said, all the stories she hadn't told. "You don't have to be alone now," he said simply. With those words, a barrier inside Naru broke down. She launched out of her chair, narrowly missing the table, and threw her arms around Nephrite's broad shoulders, weeping into his shirt and hair. He rubbed her back awkwardly, unsure of exactly what to do. But she was perfectly content to sob, holding him tightly, completely unaware of curious passer-by.

Naru felt the pain and tension leave her body with every tear she cried. The hurt she had kept tightly coiled inside her was unfurling, leaving a curiously light sensation in it's wake. She cried over everything she hadn't allowed herself to shed tears over, held safe in Nephrite's arms. A few minutes later, she finally resurfaced, her eyes red and puffy but her smile wider and brighter than Nephrite had ever seen it. "Now, I believe you said something about a chocolate parfait?"

-

Naru had never been happier to wake up on a Monday morning. She had a lunch date with Nephrite this afternoon, and each minute she spent awake was another minute closer to seeing him again. She hugged Satchmo tightly, giggling as he licked her face. She felt like she was floating on air as she headed to her closet, choosing a navy blue knit dress that had a flattering square neckline. She tied a cream colored silk scarf around her neck to hide the still very visible brusing on her neck. Deciding on a whim, she left her thick, wavy hair unbound, and it bouced charmingly around her shoulders.

She fed Satchmo, gliding through her apartment on the wings of love.

In her car, she cheerfully chirped along with a song on the radio, an American song that the band had rewritten in Japanese. She was pleasantly surprised that she did not feel a strong craving for her morning cigarette. Even the usual Tokyo traffic did not bother her today.

_Oh, kiss me  
__Awai yamiyo ni lead me  
__Tsuki wo matteru yo  
__Hora gora un  
__Kaze ge utatte hoshi ga odori hajimeata  
__So, kiss me_

She arrived at her office, parking her car. She saw Hiro on the steps with a cigarette, nursing a cup of coffee. She smiled as she ascended the stairs. "It's a great day the plan a wedding, Hiro," she said brightly. "Yeah, whatever, boss-lady," he replied grumpily as he followed her, crushing his smoke out on the stone steps.

"What's got you in such a good mood, huh?" He questioned as she took a seat at her desk. She smiled up at him. Hiro studied his boss, who was more like a sister than an employer. Her smile could light up a room, he decided, and was glad that she seemed to be doing a lot of it this morning.

"Oh, nothing," Naru responded casually. "Except that I've got a date this afternoon!" She giggled, twirling in her office chair. Hiro chuckled. "A date, huh? Who with?"

"An old flame of mine, a certain billionare named Masato Sanjouin." She positively sparkled with radiance. "Hiro, would you mind waxing the floor? Thank you. We've got the Tanakas coming in today, their flower order went down the tubes and I had to do a little improvising. Hopefully that will go well," she was talking to herself more than anyone. Naru still felt proud at the quick thinking she had done during that flower crisis, and she had a feeling that the Tanakas would not be disappointed. She turned on her computer, humming as she filled in her appointment schedule.

The next few hours passed uneventfully, her travel consultant, Megumi, showing up late as usual. Megumi, with her long blonde hair and blue eyes, and her propensity for being tardy, reminded her a lot of her high school best friend, Usagi. Like Hiro, Megumi had her faults, but she was a diligent worker and was amazing at finding the best prices for airfare and hotel accomodations. Ryouta was not far behind. The fashion savant, as he liked to be called, helped Naru greatly when it came to men's formalwear, and even had an eye for killer bridesmaid dresses. Lastly, Katsuro sauntered in. He was an inspired chef, but he preferred to make menus, not prepare them. He and Naru had worked many long nights together, creating the perfect appetizer list, and their work was never gone unrewarded.

"Hey there, girl!" Ryouta said in his lilting, high pitched voice. He walked over to her desk, sitting neatly on the corner. "I heard it through the grapevine that someone has a date this afternoon."

Naru laughed, glancing at Hiro, who was emptying wastebaskets. "Oh? Word travels fast around this place."

"You bet it does, girlfriend. Now spill. I want details!"

Naru noticed Megumi and Katsuro spying conspicuously from their desks, and she chuckled. "Okay, okay, you two might as well get over here and hear this too." The two sheepishly grinned and trotted to Naru's crowded desks, occupying the chairs in front of it. "Well, his name is Masato Sanjouin-"

"Oh, that billionare who up and disappeared awhile ago?" Megumi interrupted excitedly.

"One and the same," Naru answered, "we have... a history. And uh, he came back into town, at the best possible minute," Naru touched her neck unconsiously. Ryouta spied a section of her neck where her scarf had failed to hide a bruise. "Oh wow, a regular knight in shining armour, hm?" He asked.

Naru blushed, feeling like a silly schoolgirl. "Yeah, I guess so." She was immensely glad for a phone ringing, so she wouldn't have to dish on Nephrite like some sort of high school girl anymore. "Osaka Wedding Planning, you're speaking with Naru Osaka. How may I help you today?"

-

Nephrite pulled up to Naru's office building, his Ferrari giving a great roar of power as he revved the engine one last time before turning it off. He could see Naru talking on the phone through her office window, and he couldn't help but smile.

He jogged up the stairs, passing the dance studio from which fast paced Latin jazz blared. He took the stairs to Naru's office, walking confidently inside.

"Masato!" She cried, jumping up from her desk to greet him with a small kiss and a tight embrace. He noticed her office mates staring curiously. She blushed, turning to them and saying "alright, alright. Masato, this is my absolutely indispensable team."

"I'm glad you've finally come to realize our value," a rather flamboyantly dressed man said, running his hands over his purple velvet shirt before walking over to Nephrite and looking him over.

"Masato, this is Ryouta, my go-to guy for everything fashion," Naru said. Ryouta offered him a well manicured hand. He turned to Naru, "he's absolutely studly," and laughed as her face heated and her blush matched her hair. Nephrite put a comforting arm around her shoulders, which she gratefully leaned into.

Another man rose to greet Nephrite, he was tall and well-dressed, with black hair and friendly gray eyes. "This is Katsuro, he's in charge of the catering side of everything," Naru said, and Katsuro shook Nephrite's hand firmly. "It's good to meet you," Katsuro said, offering him a warm smile. Nephrite felt instantly at ease, he could see why people left him in charge of their wedding meals, he radiated an easy self-confidence and good nature.

"And this is Megumi," Naru said, and a petite blonde girl smiled at him. "Hello Mr. Sanjouin, I'm pleased to meet you," the blonde squeaked, her tiny voice matching her tiny frame pefectly.

He heard a surly huff from the other side of the room, and Naru laughed, "and this is Hiro, who keeps everything running while we're all off creating the wedding of the century."

A scuffy, guff looking man shook Nephrite's hand. "So you're Masato Sanjouin, huh? Well, take good care of the boss-lady."

Megumi called Naru over to her desk for a moment, and Hiro took the opportunity to pull Nephrite very close to his face. "Listen, pal, I don't give a shit if you're the emperor of Japan, ya know? If you hurt boss-lady, I'm gonna put your balls in a vice, ya got that, pal?"

Nephrite nodded, and Hiro released him from his strong grip as Naru walked back over to the two of them. "What a charming man," Nephrite said sarcastically as the pair left the building. Naru laughed. "He's a bit rough around the edges, but he's a good guy."

Nephrite did not bother to conceal his doubt, making Naru laugh harder. He pulled her to him, capturing her mouth in a deep kiss. "Let's get out of here."

-

Somewhere, shrouded in deep darkness, a hollow laughter sounded. "So, Nephrite, you've managed to make your way back." The voice said to itself, watching the auburn-haired general and his silly little human companion walk down a city street. The being's anger was palpable. "I'll see that I have you yet."

-

Nephrite and Naru sat inside a quaint little bistro close to Naru's office that had just opened up. They shared sandwiches and sweet nothings, enjoying each other's company.

"Is Nephrite your real name?" Naru suddenly asked.

He furrowed his eyebrows. "No," he responded. "It was changed when I joined Beryl's service. I don't know what it was before that, however."

Naru nodded thoughtfully, then said "well I like it. Very edgy."

Nephrite laughed out loud. Naru loved it when he laughed like that, fully dropping his cool, collected demeanor and letting loose. She sighed contentedly as she watched him, composing himself, running a hand casually through his long auburn hair. He caught her blue eyes with his, gazing at her intensely. Her breath hitched in her throat, it was funny how he always caused her heart to skip a beat.

"You're beautiful," he said.

"Really, now," Naru blushed, self conciously tucking her hair behind her ears.

"I-I don't want to say this prematurely, but..." Nephrite stopped, every ounce of his slightly arrogant persona gone. He seemed at a complete loss for words, for once in his life.

Naru smiled warmly at him, leaning across the table to take his hands in hers. "I love you, too."

He smiled, a slightly lop-sided, toothy grin. He liked it that she could read him like a book, that she seemed to know him better than he knew himself. "I love you," he said, a warm feeling building up in his chest. It was completely new to him, but he found that he liked it.

As they walked back to her office building, hand in hand, Naru couldn't remember a time where she was happier. Nearing the steps, Nephrite took her into his arms, kissing her passionately. "I want to see you tonight," he murmured.

"I promised a friend I would help set up for a party tonight... But I'm sure she wouldn't mind if I brought a date," Naru said cheerfully. "I need to be there by 8."

"I'll pick you up at 7:30."

Naru smiled broadly, pecking him quickly on the lips and practically skipping up the stairs. She turned around, waving. "I'll see you then."

-

A red Ferrari halted at a traffic light, and she tried to catch the driver's attention. There were a lot of luxury cars in this area, but this was the nicest she'd seen in awhile. No luck, it zoomed by her as soon as the light changed. She sighed, it would've been nice to get a rich john like that so early in the day. She continued walking. Her name was Hiroko Sato, but everyone called her Kittie. She found what she was looking for, a dank alleyway a few blocks down. It was the enterance to her apartment, well, it was an abandoned office building, but she didn't think anyone would mind if she took up some space.

Her door was unlocked, it always was. She kept anything nice she owned at the strip club where she worked. A desperately thin man lay sprawled on the bare mattress she had on the floor, a cockroach scuttling across his chest, a syringe still clutched loosely in his hand. She stared at him, pure disgust rising in her throat. He was coming down, hard. She had brought him here last night, promising him the best night of his life. She'd shot him up, stolen his wallet, credit cards, even the shirt off his back, and left him lying there while she spent his money. She couldn't fight the sneer that curled her pretty lips as she nudged him with the toe of her brand new black patent boots.

She growled as she dragged him to her second story window by his digusting, sweaty foot. She hauled him onto her fire escape, then with some effort, lifted him up and threw him over the edge. He landed on the soft piles of rotting garbage in the dumpster below. Closing her window, she went back to her mattress, lying down and staring at nothing. She picked up the dirty syringe and withdrew a small vial from her pocket. She had made ends meet this morning, and was able to get a bunch of junk from her supplier.

She smiled. Today would be a good day.

-

Nephrite sat at the desk in his office, mindlessly filling out inventory reports and shipping orders. All he could think about was Naru, her smile, her sweet voice when she told him she loved him. He felt giddy and lightheaded, like singing. He refrained, though, deciding it just wasn't becoming. But still, he studied the fountain pen in his hand. He hoped that she didn't think this was moving too fast. There was some urgency in his thought process, not forgetting the words that Judgement had uttered just before his life was restored. He planned to get everything right from the very beginning.

"Mr. Sanjouin, sir?" A husky female voice buzzed in on the intercom, "a Mr. Corentin Desmarais for you on line one."

"Thank you," Nephrite said, hesitating to take the call. Corentin Desmarais was notorious amoung all businessmen for fencing stolen merchandise. He had even avoided dealings with the shady character fourteen years ago, during Masato's heydey. Finally, curiousity getting the best of him, Nephrite answered. "Hello?"

A smooth voice responded, heavy with a French accent. "Mr. Sanjouin, how nice of you to take my call. I'm glad to hear you're finally back from your long... absence."

Desmarais's whole demeanor irked Nephrite, and he fought the urge to slam the phone down, hard. "It's good to be back. Although today is my first day at the office. I'd thought there would at least be a few days to renew old contacts before new ones came along."

A throaty laugh. Nephrite's fist clenched. "Well, Mr. Sanjouin, I have offices operating in Tokyo, and your return did make the front page."

Nephrite sighed, looking down at the wastebasket, his own face staring back up at him. His return had been the lead story of Monday's newspaper. "So what can I do for you, Mr. Desmarais?"

"Please, it's Corentin... to my friends." The man went on to explain that he was a leading supplier of luxury import goods at deep discount prices (probably got them for next to nothing, paying petty thieves to hijack them from warehouses, Nephrite thought). Desmarais continued, talking about how he passed savings onto the buyers, so forth and so on. Nephrite was trying to think of a way to decline his inevitable offer without using the word 'criminal'.

"So what do you say?" Desmarais finally concluded.

"Well, Mr. Desmarais," he put extra emphasis on the formality of his words, "that is a very kind offer, but I hope you'll understand that I'm not really in a position to accept."

"I see," all the smoothness was gone from his voice, replaced with an undisguised hostility. "Well, have it your way." The line went dead.

"You didn't accept?" A voice came from the doorway. One of his youma, in human disguise, stood there, a cup of coffee clutched in her bony hand.

"I didn't," he responded, smiling at her gratefully as she put the mug on a coaster next to him.

"He's a bad man. Very bad. His secretaries sometimes go to a martini bar we frequent," she told him, 'we' referring to the other three youma in his employ, "they say he might be involved in human trafficking."

Nephrite shook his head, hoping that the rumor had no weight. He looked up at his youma's retreating form. "I wouldn't have guessed you frequented a bar," he said, smiling a bit.

The youma turned, her grin revealing slightly enlarged canine teeth. "While we may not be entirely human like you, we still like to have some fun."

Nephrite raised his eyebrow at her, but she said no more, shutting his door quietly behind her on the way out.

-

Naru smoothed the front of her cobalt blue cocktail dress, checking herself in the mirror one last time before she deemed herself fit to see Nephrite. It had taken a good three hours to get her hair just right, her bangs swept to the side and firmly hairspray-ed in place, complicated french braids on her scalp that led to a short, simple, side ponytail. She secured it with bobbypins and a cobalt blue ribbon. Applying one last coat of pale pink lipstick, and securing the blue silk scarf around her nice, she walked out to her living room, where her date was sitting.

"You look... gorgeous." Nephrite said softly, gracefully unfolding his tall frame from Naru's slightly cramped couch. She blushed as he gently pulled her closer to him, giving her a kiss on the forehead. He took her hand, leading her to the door, to the elevator, and to his car. Naru marvelled over it briefly before hopping in.

They reached a tall apartment building without incident, arriving at the ninth floor and knocking politely before letting themselves in. "Usagi!" Naru called out. Usagi... why did that name sould so familiar? Nephrite pondered.

A squealing blonde rocket streaked from the kitchen, catching Naru in a full force bear hug. She was almost knocked from her feet, but was giggling and squealing right along with her blonde, pig-tailed friend. "Where's this new boyfriend?" Usagi asked, smiling brightly.

"Oh!" Naru seemed to come back to reality. "Usagi, this is my boyfriend, Masato Sanjouin. Masato, this is my best friend in the world, Usagi Chiba." Naru took a step to the side to allow them to shake hands. However, upon seeing each other, Usagi yelped and grabbed a plastic serving dish from the table, chucking it at Nephrite, who only narrowly avoided the attack. Nephrite, who did not want to hurt Usagi, dove behind her couch while the overly energetic blonde hurled plastic forks in his direction.

"What the HELL?" Came an indignant yell. Nephrite peeked up from the back of the couch, seeing Naru standing firmly in between him and Usagi. Her little body was trembling, and Nephrite suddenly recalled why Usagi's name had been so familar. He stood up, taking Naru in his arms. She sagged against him, staring into his handsome face, searching for answers.

He gave a small bow, bobbing up and down with Naru still clutched against his chest. "It's good to see you again, Sailor Moon."

"Nephrite!" The blonde growled, and she was joined by her dark haired husband, who looked throughly shocked to see the other man standing in the middle of his living room. The three stared at each other, Nephrite never taking his eyes off Usagi, and she would not break the death glare she was giving him. Mamoru's eyes bounced between the two of them, as if watching an invisible tennis match.

"Excuse me?!" Naru's voice cut shrilly through the silence, "would anyone like to fill me in on what's going on here?"

All eyes fell on the obviously angry red head. She cocked her eyebrow, glaring in turn at everyone. Her arms were crossed firmly across her chest, one foot tapping impatiently. Seconds stretched like hours, and finally Usagi relaxed, walking over to the living room and planting herself delicately on a her white couch. Naru looked at her, her eyes dark with turbulance.

"I should've told you this a long time ago, Naru. I'm really sorry," Usagi began. "I'm Sailor Moon."

"Oh?" Naru said, disbelief obvious in her voice.

Usagi nodded, then sighed. She muttered something under her breath, then a bright light caused Naru to squint. When it was gone, and Naru opened her eyes again, Sailor Moon stood where her friend had been. She nodded slowly, chewing her lower lip. "Okay. You're Sailor Moon."

Then she fainted dead away.

-

Her head was killing her. Naru pressed her palm against her eyelids, trying to block the light that filtered through. She needed the call Nephrite, and tell him about the ridiculous dream she just had. Usagi Chiba, Sailor Moon? That was laughable.

"You guys, she's coming around!"

Uh-oh, Naru thought. There was a heavy feeling in the pit of her stomach as she opened her eyes. A crowd of worried faces clouded her vision. There was Nephrite, right next to her. She smiled at him, and he brushed her face with his fingertips. "Welcome back," he mumured. Her eyes continued scanning. Minako, the bubbly, blue-eyed blonde was next. The slightly intimidating brunette, Makoto stood nearby, a glass of water in her hand. She offered it to Naru, who gluped it down. Firey Rei was standing in a corner of the apartment, her arms folded. Naru had never much cared for Rei, whom she thought was a bit mean, but her presence was reaffirming. Blue haired Ami arrived on the scene, pressing a cold compress to Naru's forehead. She smiled and thanked the quiet blunette. Everything seemed to be normal, except where was...?

She sat up, scanning the room for Usagi. She smiled when she set eyes on her friend. Usagi's back was turned to her, but she was wearing a very, very short skirt, boots... gloves... "U-Usagi?" Naru called out. The blonde turned, and Naru thought she would faint again. Tears leaked from Sailor Moon's eyes. "I'm really sorry, Naru."

The red head stared, completely stunned. "You really are her."

Usagi nodded. "I've really wanted to tell you, but Luna told me not to tell anyone."

"Luna, as in your cat, Luna?" Naru asked. Usagi nodded. Naru closed her eyes before speaking again, "Luna, you cat, told you not to tell anyone that you're Sailor Moon?"

"It's true, Naru," Usagi said softly, "Luna's also the reason why you couldn't remember Nephrite for four years." Naru cracked her eye open, listening intently. "After we defeated the Dark Kingdom-"

"That evil society that held me," Nephrite interrupted.

"After we defeated them, Luna decided that she would erase our memories so we could be normal girls for awhile. And she erased yours, and everyone's whose lives were touched by the Dark Kingdom. Ten years ago, we defeated our most powerful enemy, and I guess Luna decided that it was time that everyone could remember, because there was no need for us to be Sailor Senshi any longer..."

Naru began to giggle. Then laugh, until her whole body was shaking with gut busting guffaws. Tears streamed down her face, and she turned to face Nephrite. "It's finally happened," she told him. He stared at her, unsure of what to do. "It's finally happened," she repeated, "I've finally got completely batshit insane."

Usagi took a step forward, opening her mouth to speak, but she was cut off by an imperious sounding female voice. "You're not insane, Usagi's telling you the truth."

Naru wouldn't have believed it if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, but Luna, Usagi's small black cat, was talking to her. "You need to pull yourself together." The cat jumped into Naru's lap, and she wasn't exactly sure how she should respond. The voice was so obviously that of an adult female, yet the body was of an adorable feline. It was just strange to have it sitting on her knees, ordering her to calm down.

"And you?" Naru said, steadying her voice and looking to all the girls in the room. "Are you the senshi?"

They nodded. "I'm Mercury," Ami volunteered, and the rest of the girls followed suite, telling the shaken red head their identities. Naru tried to calm herself down, but she couldn't bring herself to look her best friend in the eyes. She was hurt that Usagi hadn't told her, and while the logical side of her mind told her that it wasn't possible, the emotional side was crying in despair, saying that if their friendship was as strong as Naru had thought it was, Usagi would've told her no matter what.

Naru stood, and gazed at each of women in the room. There had always been a slight resentment of the girls on her part, the four beautiful women who had snatched up her best friend. She'd always known that something was going on between them all, something that she could never be a part of. But she hadn't let it get to her, she had been there when Usagi needed her. Now she knew. A desperate feeling of lonliness crushed her, and she managed to choke out the words "I need to be alone right now," before fleeing the apartment.

Nephrite stood still for only a moment before darting after her, the elevator door closing as he reached it. He took the stairs. Her head bobbed out of sight as he reached the lobby, and he followed it, jumping in his car to gain a speed advantage. But she took side streets, cut through parks, and he just could not follow her. He took out his cell phone, dialing for directory assistance. "The number for Mamoru Chiba, please."

-

The air was stony silent in Usagi's apartment. No one had moved since the pair had dashed out, Usagi still standing alone in her Sailor Moon outfit. She jumped as the home phone rang. "Hello?"

"Usagi, it's Nephrite. I can't find her, I don't know where she's gone..."

"I'm on it," Usagi answered. She stared at the others, no words needing to be spoken between them. Mamoru put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, nodding at her. Usagi exited via fire escape, determined to find her best friend.

-

"Feels good, doesn't it?"

Naru whipped her head around, trying to find the source of the voice. It's hissing, serpentine quality made her shiver.

"Anger feels good. Let it out."

"G-go away," Naru stammered, afraid. She was answered with silence, and she felt a little better. She walked down an alleyway, utterly lost. The sky opened up, a hard, cold rain falling on her head, soaking her. She sighed, well, that was one dress completely ruined.

"Looking for a friend?" A velvety smooth voice asked. A woman sat on a window ledge on the second floor of an old apartment building. She held a bottle of whiskey in one hand, a marijuana cigarette in the other.

Naru shook her head, turning to leave the alley. She heard the woman slide down the ladder of the fire escape, and began to walk faster. The woman appeared in front of her, causing Naru to stop dead in her tracks. The woman was obviously drunk, probably high. Her green eyes were bloodshot, pupils dilated. There were crusty rings of dried blood around her nostrils, her bleach blonde hair greasy and unwashed. Naru's pulse quickened, she backed up a few steps.

The woman reached out, grabbing Naru's jaw. She held her face still with her long, sharp, red nails. She observed the red head carefully, tilting her head up and back. She caught Naru's eyes, and the two women stared at each other.

"Hey creep! Let go of my best friend!"

The woman still gazed into Naru's eyes, an unreadable expression on her features. A bright flying disc entered Naru's line of sight, and it hit the strange woman's wrist, causing her to drop Naru's face, cursing. Both women turned in the direction of the disc, seeing Sailor Moon standing there, looking angry and intimidating in the pouring rain.

The drunk woman stumbled away, and Naru crumbled, her knees hitting the pavement. Soft, warm arms enveloped her, and Naru lost herself in her best friend's embrace. Tears ran down both girls' faces, as they silently forgave and forgot.

-

Kittie shrank into the shadows of her tenament apartment, drinking deeply from her bottle. That girl, she thought, that girl was the one she'd been seeing in her hallucinations the past few days. She sank down on the steps, running her hands through her hair. What did it mean?

A hissing voice with a metallic twang reached her ears. "I have the answers."

Kittie looked around. "Who's there?"

"I'm all around, Kittie. I know what you want, I have it."

Kittie narrowed her eyes. "What do I want, then?"

"You want power. You want to be in charge. And I can promise you that. It's like being high all the time. I will give you a permanent fix, Kittie, if you pledge yourself to me."

"I'll think about it," she responded, getting up to leave.

"It's now or never. You either take my offer, or not. It's as simple as that."

Kittie folded her arms.

"Power. I will get you subjects. I will give you the best high of your life. You will be beautiful, and people will grovel at your feet."

A moment passed. Then Kittie nodded. "I want it."

Laughter. "I thought you'd say that." A scream tore from the junkie's lungs as a piercing cold darkness engulfed her.

-

Nephrite was waiting for Naru when she and Usagi walked into Naru's apartment. He strode over to her, wrapping her in a tight hug. "Don't scare me like that," he whispered into her ear. She nodded into his shoulder.

Naru turned to Usagi. "I'll call you later," the blonde promised, and the two woman shared a brief embrace before Usagi walked out the door.

"I'm sorry," Naru said, sighing. "That really wasn't as fun as I planned."

Nephrite smiled. "It's fine, I prefer the company I have now. And possibly some take-out."

Naru laughed, entwining her hand with his and leading him back into the kitchen.

-

Nephrite sat on Naru's couch, with her legs across his lap. Satchmo, whom he'd become very fond of, sat on Naru's knees. They ate kung-pao shrimp out of flimsy cardboard containers and entertained themselves playing "guess the jazz song" from a mix CD that Naru had made some time ago.

A song began to play, soft and smooth. Naru smiled, taking a sip of her red wine. "I've got it. How about you?"

Nephrite listened for a few more seconds. "Coltrane. Body and Soul."

She nodded, bouncing her feet to the tune of the music. Nephrite stood, holding his hand out to Naru. She gently pushed Satchmo off her legs, placing her small hand in his warm one. He pulled her from the couch, placing his free hand securely around her waist. She took ahold of his shoulders with one arm, her fingers curling themselves into his long auburn hair. They danced, slowly and tentatively at first, but soon they found themselves relaxing into one another, not minding the fact that neither one of them was a particularly graceful partner. Naru felt a little silly, she was dressed in her pajamas, terry cloth shorts and a white cotton tank top, and Nephrite still wore the suit he'd had on for the party they ended up ruining. Her socks slid on the linolium floor, but he held her tightly against him.

He looked at her pretty face, her eyes were closed, her mouth open just slightly. He smiled, planting a kiss on the top of her head. He twirled her, pulling her back to him after a few rotations. They moved together like they'd been doing it all their lives. Nephrite recalled Princess Diamond's ball, and how they'd danced there. Guilt overwhelmed him as he remembered what he'd made his little Naru do. He held her closer, overwhelmingly glad for this second chance at life.

The piano gave one last flourish, and Nephrite dipped her low, the ends of her hair hovering an inch over the floor. He kissed her now, carefully, delicately. As he righted her, the kiss became more intense, their tongues engaged in a sort of dance of their own. Naru pulled away, gasping slightly for breath, her cheeks tinged with bright red.

The song changed, something fast paced with a throaty sounding woman singing in French. Nephrite glanced at the clock. "It's pretty late, I better go."

Naru caught his elbow. "Don't. Stay with me tonight."

He stared at her, the high color in her cheeks, the hungry look in her eyes. He nodded, carefully sliding off his suit jacket. She took both his hands in hers, walking backwards, leading him to her bedroom.

-

"Kittie, where the hell were you? You were scheduled tonight and you just didn't show!"

Selenite turned to the outraged man who approached her. She cocked an eyebrow, bewildered by what he was talking about. Perhaps she had been this 'Kittie' he spoke of, at one time, but now she was someone else entirely. Selenite, Queen of the Neo-Dark Kingdom, did not have time to figure out whether or not she knew this strange man who stood in front of her, demanding answers. She answered to no one. A blast of ice shards from her palm sent him flying backwards. He moaned in agony as she placed her hand on his forehead, greedily draining his energy until he had none left.

Selenite could easily had teleported to any point she wanted, but tonight she roamed the streets of Tokyo, searching for her perfect pawns.


	3. Chapter 3

_There's a light each end of this tunnel, you shout  
__'Cause you're just as far in as you'll ever be out  
__And these mistakes you've made, you'll just make them again  
__If you only try turning around  
__- Breathe: Anna Nalick_

Everything was cloudy as Nephrite tried to find his way down a long hallway. He used the ice cold walls to try and guide him, but he could not seem to see an exit in sight.

"Hello, Nephrite. Long time no see."

He turned quickly, and the deathly white visage of Judgment appeared before him. It was sitting in mid-air, it's face eye-to-eye with his, and it's curtain of shiny black hair fell to the ground, and several inches coiled on the floor tiles. A bolt of fear shot through him, and he desperately wracked his brain to think of any reason why he would need to be judged.

It smiled at him. "Don't worry, I'm not here to haul you away. Justice does that kind of dirty work," it chuckled. "I just wanted to congradulate you. So far so good. But, it's about to get a lot more difficult."

"What do you mean?" Nephrite asked.

"Oh, you'll see. Now, I think it's time you greet your friends."

-

Nephrite awoke, sweating slightly. He reached out, trying to find Naru next to him, a small feeling of uneasiness rising in him as he could not find her small body among the twists of sheets and blankets. The sound of a shower running calmed him, and he thought about the strange dream... experience, he supposed, he'd just had. What did Judgment meant by telling him it was about to get difficult?

Suddenly, their was an ear splitting shriek, followed by a dull thud. Nephrite sprang from Naru's bed, not bothering to cover himself. He skidded into the bathroom, encountering a truly shocking sight.

Naru, standing in the shower, had the plastic curtain wrapped around her and was clutching a bottle of shampoo. Sprawled across the bottom of the tub was a very naked, very unconsious Zoicite. Jadeite, equally naked, was standing on top of Naru's toilet, and Kunzite was sitting in the sink, looking like someone had unceremoniously dropped him there.

Jadeite saw Nephrite standing in the doorway, an absurd look to confusion and surprise on his face. "Zoicite got knocked out with shampoo."

-

The four generals, plus one discomposed Naru, sat around her dining room table. Zoicite barely managed to fit into Naru's pajamas, and sat, bare-chested and dejected, in the pink terry-cloth shorts. Kunzite was next to him, a comforting arm around his shoulders. The silver haired general wore a very fuzzy blue bathrobe. Jadeite simply wore Naru's comforter, wrapped around his frame. With shaking hands, she served them coffee and toast, managing to avoid eye contact with all of them. She offered Zoicite an ice pack for his head, which he grudgingly took.

Naru took a seat, Nephrite standing behind her, a warm, reassuring hand on the back of her neck. The awkward silence was almost palpable. Finally, Jadeite cleared his throat and began to speak. "We were all brought before this thing. It called itself Judgment. It gave us another chance, saying that we weren't terrible people.. well... it had some choice words for Zoicite."

Nephrite stared at the feminine man in front of him, and he had a good idea of what those words had been. Even in a place as heartless and cruel as the Dark Kingdom, murdering one's ally in cold blood was frowned upon. Zoicite would not meet eyes with either him or Naru, and Nephrite was glad for that. At least the little weasel was, if not truly penetant, feinging remorse.

"I think I should probably call in sick to work," Naru finally said, standing up and walking into her kitchen. She cradled her home phone between her ear and her shoulder, beginning to dial her office number, then she decided against it. She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and padded back to her bedroom. Flipping open her cell phone, she pressed the speed dial number for her work, and Megumi's tiny, cheerful voice answered. Naru made up some lame excuse about projectile vomitting, and delegated all her tasks to her three assistants. It was the first sick day she'd taken in six years, and Megumi assured her that it was fine, she needed to stay in bed, and they would take care of everything. Feeling just a little guilty for lying, Naru called Usagi.

"Usagi, it's Naru. Listen, uhm, can you come over? You know those guys who were with the Dark Kingdom? Yeah. They showed up in my bathroom this morning... Okay, bye."

-

Usagi flipped her bright pink cell phone closed, fiddling with the happy looking cat charm she had attached to it. This could not possibly be good. She had been enjoying peace immensely, and was reluctant to give it up. She felt Mamoru lay a hand on her shoulder, and she looked up at him searchingly. "The Shitennou are back," she whispered to him, feeling tears well in her eyes.

He embraced her. "It's gonna be okay, Usako. As long as we're together, we're going to be okay."

-

Naru shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. If the situation were different, and she wasn't standing face to face with three men who had tried to destroy the world, not to mention the one who had murdered Nephrite right in front of her, if they were just normal men, this really would be comical. Zoicite sat on her couch, still wearing her pink shorts, now coupled with a white tank top that was about four sizes too small, and bared a significant portion of his midriff. She had found a pair of boy-cut lace underwear that fit Jadeite alright, and he wore her winter jacket, which was way too small for him to button up all the way. Kunzite still sat wearing her blue bathrobe. She knew she should send Nephrite to his house to find properly fitting clothes for them all, but she didn't want to be alone with them, and she didn't want to leave them alone in her apartment. Usagi, as Sailor Moon, stood before them, flanked by Tuxedo Kamen and the rest of the senshi. Naru recognized Rei, Ami, Makoto, and Minako, but there were two others that she was unfamilar with. It looked like a ridiculous gathering of drag queens.

"We really don't have any idea why we're here," Jadeite insisted.

"I'm kind of inclined to believe him," Minako - Sailor Venus - said, briefly meeting Jadeite's eyes, but looking away quickly.

"Why on earth should we believe them when they tried to kill us so many times! Metallia is probably rebuilding her kingdom, and they're here to help her!" Rei exclaimed, eyeing each general suspicously.

"To be fair," Naru said softly, "Nephrite's here, and he's not trying to reconstruct some evil society."

"Yeah but how do we know?!" Rei responded, "he could just be using you to -"

"I think Nephrite's okay," Usagi told her. That silenced Rei, but she still glared at the Shitennou.

There was an awkward silence. Nephrite stared at Naru, who looked like she was going to burst into tears at any moment. Sailor Moon looked thoughtful, while her senshi looked nothing less that murderous, with the exception of Sailor Venus, who just looked curious. There were two new ones, he noted, one rather boyish with sandy blonde hair, and one who was delicately beautiful, with startlingly large sea green eyes and aquamarine hair, but neither of them appeared any less intimidating than the others.

"Maybe you should go, now..." Naru told the senshi, her voice sounding worn and tired. Sailor Moon nodded, touching Naru's shoulder comfortingly on her way out. The red head cast an unreadable gaze upon the three men sitting in her living room, then hurriedly rushed to her bedroom.

-

Naru sat in the middle of her bed, her knees pulled up to her forehead and her arms around Satchmo. She wanted to cry, but she found that tears wouldn't come. She had no idea how to react to this turn of events, and the fact that the man who had murdered Nephrite in cold blood and laughed at her dispair was sitting on her couch, dressed in her clothes, no less.

There was a small knock at the door, and she looked up to see Nephrite, a small smile on his lips. He sat down next to her, his arm around her shoulders. Satch, who had taken a great liking to Nephrite, sprawled across the man's lap, his belly exposed and waiting to be scratched. Naru giggled a little, and obligingly ran a hand over it.

"I don't really know what to think either," Nephrite told her suddenly. "But they're here now, and we're just going to have to deal with it. Okay?"

Naru nodded, wrapping her arms around him in a grateful hug. "I love you," he whispered into her ear as they reached the main rooms again, to be greeted by the Shitennou's dour expressions. Naru folded her arms across her chest and looked to Nephrite for direction.

"You three can stay at my place, we'll head out now."

Jadeite stood, and his face screwed up as if consentrating very hard on something. Nephrite rolled his eyes. "I think you'll find that none of you have the energy to do any teleporting. It's been several days and I have barely regained all my previous strength." All three looked rather crestfallen, and Nephrite reassured them that he and Naru would drive them to his mansion.

That seemed acceptable, Naru thought, as she grabbed her purse and headed out the door, until she remembered that Nephrite's car only sat two people. She locked eyes with him in the elevator and a silent debate raged. Who was going to take Zoicite? The soundless arguement continued until they reached the sidewalk, and it was time to part ways, as Naru's car was parked in a covered garage for residents around the back of the building. Finally, after a particularly harsh look from Naru, Nephrite sighed. "Zoicite, you're coming with me."

Naru flashed her lover a smile, leading the other two to the resident lot.

-

Zoicite glared glumly out the window as the man in the car beside theirs at the stop light pointed and laughed at him. Zoicite made an obscene gesture, but still sunk lower in his seat. The silence was overpowering. Millions of words flew through the slight man's mind, so many coming so fast that he was having a hard time trying to grasp the few it took to make a sentence. He opened his mouth, closed it again, feeling like a fish out of water.

"I'm... uh. I'm sorry," Zoicite finally managed. He watched as Nephrite's eyebrow rose, and Zoicite sighed heavily. "I'm sorry, Nephrite. I... I really am. I didn't mean to..." he trailed off.

"To kill me?" Nephrite finished.

Zoicite sighed. "That." There was a long silence, and he spoke again. "I wouldn't have. I wasn't myself, it was Beryl -"

"Let's take some responsibility, hm?" Nephrite said, cutting him off. "I did things under Beryl that I'm not proud of, things I wouldn't have done had I not been seduced into her service. But ultimately, I did them. No one was holding a sword to my throat."

So quietly that Nephrite wasn't even sure he spoke at all, Zoicite said, "I know."

They were nearly to the mansion of Masato Sanjouin when Zoicite began to speak again, a hint of sorrow in his voice. "Nephrite... I'm sorry for what I did. I hope that maybe you can forgive me."

Nephrite pulled his Ferarri into his driveway, noting that Naru wasn't there yet. Just as well, he thought, he was a pretty unsafe driver and didn't want Naru copying his speeds. He put a palm to his forehead, then turned to the tawny-haired man next to him. "I forgive you Zoicite. But I can't forget the hurt you caused, for me and for Naru. It's going to take a lot of time. But that's the consequence you have to live with."

Zoicite nodded, and Nephrite thought he could see tears in the smaller man's eyes. Naru's black sedan pulled up beside them, and Nephrite was glad of the distraction it provided. The motley five trudged into the gothic style mansion, each avoiding the other's gaze.

-

Nephrite sat on his balcony, gazing into the dense evergreen forest all around him. Naru sat next to him, sitting in a lotus position on the hard iron bench they shared. They took delicate sips of brandy from his expensive crystal cut glasses, each lost in their own thoughts.

They other three were upstairs, utilizing two of the houses' guest bedrooms. Naru lazily laid her head on his shoulder, sighing. He met her eyes, wishing he could take away the fear and uncertainty that dwelled within them.

"I don't like that man anywhere near you," she said finally.

"He apologized to me, you know," Nephrite told her casually.

She shrugged, polishing off the last bit of the amber liquid in her glass, and helping herself to more from the bottle between them. "I still don't. Everytime I see him..." she trailed off, shivering.

Nephrite gently kissed the top of her head. "I know, love. I know."

-

Selenite strode purposefully into a warehouse, her high heeled boots clicking on the concrete floor. Little men scurried up to her like ants, demanding to know her business there. She ignored them, focusing solely on her target.

"Desmarais!" She called loudly, catching the attention of a greasy looking man in a pale purple suit. He walked over to her carefully, catlike in his movements.

"Oui?" He said, running his eyes slowly up and down the length of her body.

"Let's talk business."

-

"Miss Naru? Are you listening to a word I'm saying?"

She turned to the old man in front of her. "Of course I am, Mr. Fujii," she lied. He gave her a skepitical glance. She sighed, relenting. "No, no I'm not. I'm sorry." It had been nearly a week since the return of the other three Dark Kingdom lords, but she hadn't quite gotten over the shock of having them all turn up in her bathroom.

The old man stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps your young man has found himself with more than he bargained for."

"I guess you could say that," Naru replied, running her hands through her hair.

Mr. Fujii laid a gentle hand on her wrist. "Come to the back, for tea."

Naru nodded gratefully and followed the bent old man to a tiny sitting area in the back of his store. A comfortable, worn looking couch was tucked in a back corner, next to a tiny counter that was only just big enough for the sink it contained. A honey colored wood coffee table sat in front of these things, a dog earred copy of Faust sitting on it. Naru was surprised to see that it was in it's original German. There was a small cupbord above the counter, and he carefully plucked tea making implements from it. He boiled water and tea leaves in an electric kettle, and handed Naru a cheerful looking mug with a strainer on top. She sipped the hot brown liquid, feeling instantly somewhat better. It warmed her throat, and she could feel it travel to her stomach, leaving a trail of pleasant heat.

They were silent for awhile, until Mr. Fujii picked up his copy of Faust. Without opening it, he said, "he who strives on and lives to strive can earn redemption, still," he smiled at Naru, "act five, of Faust."

Naru remained quiet, thinking of the implications of that statement.

"Do you believe in angels, Miss Naru?" Fujii asked.

"I don't know, I've never really thought about it," she replied after a few minutes.

The small man looked tenderly at her, then at his beloved floral creations. "I do," he told her softly.

-

Naru walked slowly from Fujii's Florist to her car, feeling his thoughtful, dark eyes on her back. He had eagerly told her the story of Goethe's Faust, a man who had sold his soul to the devil, but ended up being redeemed in the end.

She wondered if perhaps all the former Dark Kingdom lords were like Faust in that sense. Nephrite had told her, briefly, of the promises that Beryl had made to them all. They were worded to sound like good ideas, and that had been their demise. In the end, they were convinced that joining Beryl's ranks had been the noble, honorable thing to do.

Naru shivered. That evil woman had exploited all their fears, hopes, dreams, to get them on her side. But, perhaps, the reason they had been granted second chances was that they had not gone into the devil's service with evil intentions.

She shook her head. Her thought process was becoming way too metaphysical, and she had a gown fitting with Tamiko Yoshida, a throughly impatient, iron-willed woman. She needed to be fully present for that, or she would suffer the bride's wrath.

-

Jadeite sauntered down a peaceful, quiet street, happy to once again feel the sunlight on his face and a breeze in his hair. He was heading back to Nephrite's darkly oppressive mansion from a local farmer's market, and his hands were both occupied by heavy canvas bags, nearly overflowing with fresh fruit and vegetables. When he was captured in Beryl's crystal, he had been alive, and concious. He'd seen comings and goings, unable to speak or hear. His death had been much the same, a floating, intangible version of being trapped in that terrible crystal, but he had been able to hear, at least.

He remembered when he, Kunzite, and Zoicite had been brought before the two angels, Justice and Judgment. As soon as they were in front of their dais, Justice had stepped down, roughly taking Zoicite by the arm and leading him into a great, gaping darkness, when a voice had cried out for mercy. The three generals could not see the source, but it had pleaded so, and they were granted each a fresh start.

Regaining mobility and the use of all his senses was probably the best part of being alive, Jadeite thought. He didn't care what else happened, as long as he could move, and be free to do so. Perhaps he would take up some sort of sport, he thought to himself.

From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a large, handwritten poster. He turned, pausing in the middle of the sidewalk, to read about Juuban district adult volleyball tryouts. Ages 21-30. He smiled. Well, the phony papers Nephrite had had made for him claimed he was 29. Happy with this, he pulled a cell phone from his pocket (another generosity from Nephrite) and entered the number into his phone. He never saw the bubbly blonde coming his way.

-

Minako bounced along, feeling slightly lonely. Usagi and Mamoru were doing couples things, Rei was leading elementary school tour groups around the Shrine all day, Ami was almost constantly occupied with her medical residency, and Makoto was putting in a double shift at the restaurant where she worked. Minako, having no job and no auditions today, wandered Tokyo alone, hoping for something interesting to happen.

Her wish was fufilled when she bumped into a tall, handsome blonde man, who had been preoccupied with his cell phone. As she fell, she felt strong arms encircle her waist and pull her close to a broad, muscular chest. A red hot blush rose in her cheeks, and she lifted her head to see who had just saved her from a very sore backside. Her eyes met with brillant blue, and she jumped back. "Jadeite!" She yelped.

Jadeite hushed her. "It's Jaden, in public," he said.

The two blondes stood silently for a moment, and Minako noticed the sign he'd been reading. "You want to try out for volleyball?" She asked.

"Well, I've seen it done, it doesn't look too complicated, but... it could be fun, I suppose."

Minako eyed him up and down. "I'm captain of that team. We compete against other gyms in Tokyo."

"I see."

There was another awkward silence, and Minako looked up at him. "Volleyball is much more difficult than it looks. Meet me at the gym tomorrow morning at 6 AM."

The blonde girl brushed by him quickly, so that he could not see the new blush blossoming on her cheeks.

-

Naru bit her bottom lip, anxious for this fitting with Tamiko to be over. Tamiko Yoshida, soon to be Himura, was a woman in her late forties, streaks of gray running through her jet black hair, with a particularly strong jaw and absolutely devoid of any kind of sense of humor. Naru had to wonder how anyone could marry such a woman, who reminded her more of a stern English governess than a bride.

It was not traditional for a wedding planner to occompany the bride-to-be on every wedding related excursion, but Naru found that she had to, as Tamiko's harsh, abrasive personality had sent a fair share of tailors, florists, and caterers into tears. It was Naru's job to be a buffer, and she was surprisingly good at it. Tamiko seemed to take Naru's word and was generally much more tolerable when the calm red-head was around.

Today was not one of those days.

The tailor du jour was trying desperately to fit Tamiko in her ultra-conservative wedding gown, and the irratible woman was not having any of it.

"It's too tight. I look like a common hussy," the older woman snapped, glaring at Naru, as if daring her to say different.

"Perhaps the waist could be a bit looser," Naru said carefully, her eyes drifting towards the large window in front of the shop. She caught site of a brightly bleached head, and an all too familiar face...

The junkie who had cornered her in the alley stood across the street from the small alterations shop, flanked by two men. She was grinning terribly, her bright red lips parting to show yellowed teeth. The two men beside her were both rather tall, one very slim with slicked back brown hair, and the other was a massive mountain of a man, probably close to seven feet tall with a body builder's physique. All three wore similar looking black suits, except hers was accompanied by an obscenely short skirt. The junkie woman's lips curled, showing her browning, diseased gums. She held out a hand, her palm open, looking directly at Naru.

She groaned as a sharp, excrusiating pain exploded in her chest, and she fell to the ground.

-

"Hold her legs up, will you?" Naru heard Tamiko's peevish voice before she opened her eyes. Her legs moved up of their own accord. "Higher, above the level of the heart. What the hell are you good for? Can't tailor a gown, can't hold a woman's legs up..."

Naru opened her eyes, Tamiko's face hovering above her own. "Ah, you're coming around. No, don't sit up!" The woman ordered. "Lie still for a few minutes. Are you still feeling weak?"

"No," Naru answered. "Just a little embarassed." She lie there while Tamiko took her pulse and the sweaty tailor held her legs at a ninety-degree angle with her body.

"Your heart rate is rather high." Naru was informed. The bride-to-be, clad in a lacy, bouffant dress helped the red-head to her feet. She brushed her hands off, turning a discerning eye to the wedding planner. "You should take the rest of the day off. Do you have someone who could stay with you? Just to make sure you don't faint again and hurt yourself."

Naru nodded, dazedly walking toward the exit. Remembering something she turned around. "Tamiko, how do you know all this stuff?"

"I used to be a nurse," the woman answered, seemingly aware of the irony of a hard nosed woman in such a position.

"Oh," Naru replied simply, and headed for her car.

-

Selenite stood on top on the rooftop of the abandoned office building she used to inhabit. Her two lords, Wolfeite and Kyanite, stood slightly behind her. She was happy with her choices for the new generals of the Neo-Dark Kingdom, they were as throughly evil as she could find. Desmarais, now Kyanite, a businessman, had been involved in buying and selling girls as young as nine. It had not been hard to talk him into joining her and Metallia, telling him that once they had conquered the earth, he would be completely free to do as he pleased.

The other man, had been simply known as Icepick before Selenite rechristened him as Wolfeite. She had found him in California, America. He was a tall, muscular man, his face shaggy with a long beard and moustache. He had been even easier to seduce to her side. A murderer of innocents, she knew he had killed at least twelve people, mostly in bar brawls, but a few times out of desperation for money or transportation. The American police were hot on his tail when Selenite approached him, and he had readily accepted her offer in order to evade the law.

"Was that the girl?" Kyanite asked her, one of his long, reedy fingers curling in his greasy hair.

Selenite nodded, her pretty face twisted in a malevolent sneer. "She's the Carrier. She's the one we want. Even better, she's the consort of the traitor of the first Dark Kingdom, Nephrite."

Kyanite approached her, bowing before her. "Shall I dispose of the girl, your majesty?"

"No." Selenite snapped. "Killing the girl does us no good. The power she carries must be drawn out, forced from her body."

"And how shall we do that, my queen?" Wolfeite's deep, hard voice penetrated the night.

"First, you will need to find me energy. Lots of it."

-

Naru sat on her couch, her legs tucked daintly under her. She held a glass of red wine in one hand, a cigarette in the other, the soft, moody tones of Charles Mingus' 'Goodbye Pork Pie Hat' leaking from her stereo. Satchmo lay quietly next to her, his head resting on her knees. Her cell phone rested in front of her, on the coffee table. For the past hour, she'd been toying with the idea of calling Nephrite, but hadn't brought herself to actually do it.

There was a barrier somewhere in her brain, keeping her from giving him her all. She wanted to, desperately, but fourteen years was a very, very long time. It was a long time to grieve, a long time to be lonely. She was barely able to comprehend his return to her life, and was terrified of falling even more in love with him, just to have him whisked away from her again.

She looked down at her cell phone again. "What do you think I should do, Satch?" Naru asked. The dog just gave a slight huff and curled into a tighter ball. She sighed. "Big help you are. Well, okay. I'll call him." She shifted, picking up and dialing his number.

The phone rang twice. He always let it ring twice before answering. "Naru," he greeted her warmly. She smiled a little, thinking about how he could always make her weak in the knees, like she was still a little girl.

"I was wondering if you, maybe, wanted to come over to my place?" She asked, thinking about Tamiko's instructions not to be alone.

"Of course I would," he said. Naru let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

"Are you working?" She asked.

"In a matter of speaking," came his sarcastic reply.

"You could come over now..."

"I think I just may."

-

Nephrite snapped his cell phone shut. He was glad to get out of the office, there really wasn't much to do there. He supposed he could hold meetings and evaulate employee performance, but it wasn't nessecary, as all of his employees were youma he had commanded during his stint in the Dark Kingdom. They worked hard and did not have to have their tasks outlined for them. If it weren't for the need for his signature, he wouldn't have a place in his own business at all.

He leaned out the door of his office. "Erika, I trust you all can handle yourselves if I leave for the rest of the day?"

The purple haired woman in a tight-fitting buisness suit smiled at him. "I think we'll manage."

-

Naru looked at herself in her bathroom mirror, watching herself sip wine. Since when had she needed this stuff to make it through a stressful situation? She'd gone through plenty worse alone, and yet here she was clutching a decanter like it contained the elixer of life. Slowly, she emptied it into her sink, the blood red liquid sloshing down her drain.

She reflected on that junkie woman she'd seen, just before the pain hit her. She wondered who, and what, that woman was. Who were the two men who stood with her? Naru hoped this didn't mean what she thought.

"Please," she said aloud, tilting her chin to the ceiling, "don't let there be another war."

-

Notes from Mollzxkor: The song used at the opening of this chapter is Anna Nalick's Breathe (2 AM), and I do some other name-dropping (Charles Mingus, Faust, etc.). I also forgot to include that the opening song for the last chapter was The Best Thing by Savage Garden, and the song I inserted in the middle is Sixpence None The Richer's Kiss Me (Japanese version). None of these things belong to me, I use them without permission but without intent to infringe upon copyrights. I also don't own Sailor Moon. Ja. And this chapter is dedicated to x-kisshu-lover-4eva-x, my lone reviewer.


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